Eva de la Caridad Méndez, also known professionally as Eva Mendes, is celebrating turning 47 years old on March 5, 2021. Despite being a successful and sought-after actress after her breakout role in the movie Training Day back in 2002, Eva has not been in a movie since 2014, when she appeared in her baby daddy and romantic life partner Ryan Gosling’s movie Lost River. If you’re wondering why, it’s because her priorities shifted after becoming a mother for the first time in 2014 and then again in 2016. She's mom to two little girls: Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee Gosling. We get it, but that doesn’t stop us from missing her.
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Eva is pretty low key as far as celebrities go. She doesn’t seek the limelight in her personal life. She does share a bit on social media, though. Like when she responded to a fan’s comment regarding her acting career. "As a mother now, there are many roles I won't do. There are many subject matters that I don't want to be involved with, so it limits my choices and I'm fine with that. I have to set an example for my girls now," Eva wrote. Good on her, but we miss seeing her lovely face, so we thought what better occasion than her birthday to spend a little time looking at some throwback photos of Eva Mendes?
She loves and appreciates her mama big time!
On March 26, 2020, Eva wrote: "Missing this mujer!⠀She just safely sent me her famous Arroz con Leche and we couldn't be happier about it!! This is one of her many signature dishes and it instantly makes me happy and energized. Yes yes the sugar helps (us Cubans love the sugar)! But it's more than that. It's the love she puts into everything she does.⠀Gracias Mami. Not just for this Arroz con leche, but for everything. Te quiero. ❤."
Get out of town with all this cuteness!
Eva posted this throwback photo for her birthday in 2020 and the caption is a sweet ode to her mother.
"46 years ago I gave my mom hell and she gave me life," she wrote. "I was a meconium baby (ugh sorry Mami eww) and I’ve been trying to make it up to her ever since. ❤ Gracias for STILL making me my frijoles and arroz con Leche. (Yes my Mami still spoils me. If I ate steak she’d still cut my steak for me. It’s a Cuban thing). Te quiero Mami! Today I celebrate YOU! ❤."
Someone scored on Christmas!
We’re not detectives or anything, but from the looks of this flashback photo that Eva posted, it looks like she got a couple of dolls, a stroller, and a dollhouse one Christmas past. And the smile on her face says she loved all of it!
Looks like someone did not want to be in the picture.
How funny is this picture?! Eva’s mom, also named Eva, looks all picture-perfect and Eva looks like it’s torture to have her picture taken. This kind of childhood pictures are the best!
Looking lovely at age 14.
"14 por vida ," she wrote when she posted this throwback pic. Can we talk about all that gorgeous hair on her head? She's got so much of it and we love it. She still has glorious hair.
When she was 15, she went to see Alyssa Milano.
"That time the boss Alyssa Milano came to the mall when I was 15 and I lost my damn mind," Eva captioned a photo of herself and Alyssa. "I was obsessed. ❤️." They are both so young and darling!
She's got beautiful sisters.
On August 13, 2019, Eva posted this picture of herself and her two sisters and simply wrote: "Sisters." Eva is the one on the left just in case you can't tell. But how could you not when she doesn't look all that different?
A look back at Eva enjoying ice cream.
On July 17, 2016, Eva shared this throwback photo of herself enjoying a sundae in honor of National Ice Cream Day. The pearls, hairstyle, and gloves are everything! The best part is that she looks so very happy.
Proof that she's always looked great in a head wrap.
When Eva first introduced herself on Instagram in 2015, she posted this adorable picture of herself as a child and part of her caption read: "I thought this picture might be a good way to start. 38 years later and still holding strong on the head wrap comeback."
From the time she was a bridesmaid at her sister's wedding.
Eva was a bridesmaid for her sister, Janet, and she posted this throwback of the questionable dress. "Ladies! Don't do what my sister did to me on her wedding day," she joked.
Like mother, like daughter.
Eva shared this sweet throwback posing alongside her mother. She has some attitude! She shared the photo on Mother's Day 2015 and her caption was just a simple red heart emoji.
Practicing to be a future cat lady?
Here's proof that the Cuban star did have an awkward phase—or at least an awkward expression on her face while taking a picture. Keep in mind this is back in the day when digital pictures weren't a thing and you couldn't preview the image before getting it printed.
Could this be a school pic?
Doesn't it have that whole school pic feel to it? She looks so cute and we're loving that front tooth gap, which she no longer has. Can you guess what's on her sweater? Don't worry if you can't because we're about to show you.
It's Eeyore on her sweater.
Here she is rocking the same sweater with Eeyore on it. When she posted this picture, she wrote: "I wish I still had that sweater!" We don't blame her, it would look cute with jeans.
She posted this picture when her brother was battling cancer.
On January 13, 2016, Eva shared this emotional throwback of her brother Juan Carlos. "Sending him so much love today as he continues his battle with cancer," she wrote. "I love you big brother."
Sadly, her brother died.
On April 17, 2020, Eva wrote:
4 years ago today my big brother John passed on. This picture says it all. Always protecting me. And looking oh so fresh while doing it. I’ll be looking at the moon and I’ll be seeing you.
She still thinks of John and thanks him daily.
"Little me on my big brother’s shoulders ❤," she captioned this picture. "Today I celebrate my brother John. He would’ve been 57. We lost him almost 4 years ago." ⠀⠀
She added: "When I think back to our rocky relationship at times, I realize what he was doing. He was prepping me for the world. He made me tough as nails. And I thank him for that daily. I love you my big brother. And I know if you were here right now you’d be out there helping people who need it. Somehow I think you’re doing that anyway. ❤."⠀
Eva also labeled the photo for her fans: "From left to right, John, my sister Becky, my Mami, me and my sister Janet. ❤."⠀⠀
"I love you 'pato que' ❤," she wrote at the bottom.⠀
Check out Eva and her friends in the '90s.
On April 9, 2015, Eva was super excited that she was going to meet up with some longtime friends, so she posted this flashback photo of them all and wrote:
"Debbie.
Kharla.
Shawn.
Eva.
aka DESK
circa early 90's
I love these girls. Been friends forever. Seeing them tomorrow!! So excited. Cue Jodeci."
She loves her big sisters.
The Cuban actress loves to share photos of her sisters. "Big sisters rule," she posted on April 10, 2015 in honor of National Sibling Day. Clearly, great looks run in the family.
She used to be a cheerleader.
Eva attended Toll Middle School and Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, and was part of the volleyball and cheerleading squads. Go, Eva! We wonder if she remembers any of her old cheers and routines.
Lookin' all cute in her yearbook pic!
Those wispy bangs! We love them. And that smile that makes her whole face light up! She really doesn't look all that different than she does now. She doesn't wear her hair like that anymore, though.
